In the subtropical realm of fruits, the Chinese Bayberry (Myrica rubra), commonly known as yangmei (杨梅) in Chinese, stands as a hidden gem. This lesser-known fruit tree possesses a captivating combination of sweet and tart flavors, making it a delightful treat to savor. As a garden addition, it adds a splash of color and flavor to any outdoor space.
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Fernleaf Lavender (Lavandula multifida) stands as a testament to the resilience and beauty nature offers. This perennial plant, with its distinctive feathery, fern-like foliage and richly aromatic flowers, carves a niche in the permaculture garden that is both functional and ornamental.
Amidst potential economic and social turmoil, the true value of self-reliance comes into sharp focus. Among the most profound ways to foster this self-reliance is through a well-planned permaculture design or food forest. This practice isn't just about growing food; it's about cultivating resilience, sustainability, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
Food forests, also known as forest gardens, are a type of agroforestry system that incorporates trees, shrubs, perennial vegetables, herbs, and other plants into a productive human-guided ecosystem that is modeled off of the patterns found in nature. The patterns we gain inspiration from are both spatial and temporal. We layer the system spatially with different size and types of plants in beneficial relationships (guiding) similar to a forest while utilizing the temporal phenomena of forest succession to establish the system and guide its management.
The first time I encountered tropical lettuce, or Indian lettuce (Lactuca indica), was when I was exploring a rooftop garden in Fujian province of rural southern China. It was the middle of the day in the middle of the summer, and here was this beautiful lettuce exposed to full sun in a raised bed with less than six inches deep of relatively poor soil. I was amazed that this plant which was obviously in the lettuce genus, was alive at this time of year at all, not even wilting the least bit under the oppressive summer sun in the sub-tropics, and growing with what appeared to be weak care. Needless to say, but my attention had been caught.
Chipilin (Crotalaria longirostrata) is a perennial nitrogen-fixing shrub with edible leaves which is underutilized in South Florida.
Longevity spinach (Gynura procumbens) is a great low maintenance edible medicinal perennial plant to grow in south Florida year round.
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